I'm Traveling to the Caribbean With My Family for $470 Using These 2 Credit Cards

Picture this: While most people will be shivering through February, my family and I will be soaking up the sun in Nevis (an island in the Caribbean). The best part? I scored roundtrip flights for the three of us for just $470 instead of the $2,835 it could have cost. How? With a little help from some savvy travel credit card points strategies.

The strategy: One-way tickets and credit card points

Let's be honest: booking a Caribbean vacation in February usually involves paying through the nose -- especially if you want to avoid multiple layovers with a 6-year-old in tow. Flights to St. Kitts, the gateway to Nevis, are limited, and nonstop fares? Sky-high.

But here's where a little strategy came into play. I realized we could hack the system by booking two separate one-way tickets instead of traditional roundtrip fares. And this is where using credit card points (specifically Chase Ultimate Rewards) came to the rescue.

Step 1: Getting there -- JetBlue, meet Chase Ultimate Rewards

We don't fly JetBlue all that often, but we had a modest stash of points sitting around. JetBlue has a direct flight from JFK to St. Kitts (SKB), and I knew that would be our best route. The secret sauce? Chase Ultimate Rewards partners with JetBlue at a 1:1 point transfer ratio. With the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card, it was a seamless swap.

Click here to learn about all the perks of the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card and see how it can help you save on flights.

I transferred 45,000 points from our Chase Ultimate Rewards stash to JetBlue, then pooled those points with the few JetBlue points we already had. In total, 47,400 points covered my husband's and son's one-way tickets, and we only had to pay $31.20 in fees for the two of them. Not bad, right?

Unfortunately, my points from previous trips had been drained, so I had to pay $312.30 for my own ticket on the same flight. This was not ideal, but still, I was flying directly to paradise.

Step 2: Coming back -- United MileagePlus points to the rescue

The return flight was a whole new ballgame, but once again, credit card points came to the rescue. We decided to fly United back from St. Kitts to JFK; this time, we used United MileagePlus points. But here's the fun part: United allows families to pool points. Between the points we had from previous United flights and our United Club℠ Infinite Card, we had a hefty stack of points ready to go.

Pro tip: the United Club℠ Infinite Card has an 80,000-mile welcome bonus you can earn after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months, which offers a massive boost.

Each ticket cost 40,000 points for the return trip, totaling 120,000 points for all three of us. Thankfully, we had enough to cover the flights, though we did have to shell out $127 in fees for the three of us combined. Not a bad trade for avoiding full price.

The grand total

Let's break it down in numbers:

• Outbound flight (JFK to SKB):
  • My husband and son: 47,400 JetBlue points + $31.20 in fees (thanks to the 1:1 Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer)
  • Me: $312.30 out of pocket
• Return flight (SKB to JFK):
  • All three of us: 120,000 United MileagePlus points + $127 in fees

The grand total is $470.50. Compare that to the $2,835 we would've paid for nonstop tickets in February, and it's safe to say we came out on top.

Why the Chase Sapphire Reserve is a game changer

I can't emphasize this enough: the real hero of this story is the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card. The ability to transfer points 1:1 to travel partners like JetBlue (and many others) is a game changer. It allowed us to turn a few saved points and some strategic transfers into flights for full family vacation for a fraction of the cost.

With Chase Ultimate Rewards, you're not limited to just one airline or hotel chain -- you can transfer your points to a whole range of travel partners. Whether you're eyeing flights, hotels, or even car rentals, the flexibility of Chase Ultimate Rewards lets you maximize your points exactly where you need them.

And the benefits don't stop there. The Chase Sapphire Reserve® also offers:

• 3x points on travel and other dining, and on air travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually
• Access to Priority Pass airport lounges (goodbye, crowded gates!)
• Up to $300 in annual travel credits
• Comprehensive travel insurance that saved me $1,500 in cancellation fees previously
• Valuable 1:1 point transfer to partners like JetBlue, United, Hyatt, and more

The bottom line

For $470, my family and I are flying roundtrip to Nevis in peak Caribbean season, and I owe it all to a few smart credit card moves. The Chase Sapphire Reserve® and United Club℠ Infinite Card turned what would've been a pricey trip into a points-powered getaway.

If you're not already racking up points with a rewards card, let this be your sign to start. You might just find yourself sipping rum punch on a beach instead of staring at the snow -- and for a lot less money.